On August 27, 2015, the Washington Supreme Court issued a new decision in
Nissen v. Pierce County et al. (Case No. 90875-3), clarifying when records such as text messages and emails held by public employees on their personal devices or accounts may be public records subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act (“PRA”), RCW 42.56.
In a unanimous
en banc decision, the Court held that text messages sent and received by a Pierce County prosecutor on his private cell phone were public records subject to disclosure as they were work-related and prepared and used within the scope of the prosecutor’s employment.
The decision provides guidance to public-sector unions and employees who are, at times, pressed by public employers to turn over information on employees’ personal devices that employees might consider private. Under
Nissen, employee communications will be held to be public records subject to disclosure if they are prepared, owned, used or retained within the scope of the employee’s employment – i.e., “when the job requires it, the employer directs it, or it furthers the employer’s interest.” The Court explained that text messages public employees may send to spouses about working late or typical social media discussions between employees about their jobs won’t fit the bill and are likely private. However, text messages a requester of records alleges were written by a public employee “to take actions retaliating against her or [detailing] other official misconduct,” would satisfy the standard and are properly classified as public.
The Court mandated that public employers and employees adhere to a procedure akin to that used by federal government agencies for FOIA requests to determine whether records held by employees in their personal files or on personal devices would constitute public records responsive to a request. Under the procedure, when informed of a records request, the employee must make a good faith search of her files, devices, and accounts for all records responsive to the request and self-determine what is public and what is private. The employee should then turn over all public records to the employer, so the employer may review the records and determine if they are subject to a PRA exemption or must be disclosed. Where an employee withholds records from the employer as private, she must submit an affidavit containing facts sufficient to show that the information is not a public record under the PRA. This would give a requester and a trial court hearing a PRA lawsuit a sufficient factual basis to determine whether the material is properly private content which would be nonresponsive to a request and rightfully withheld.
The Court also recommended that public agencies across Washington continue to adopt policies prescribing how employees can use employer-provided and personal devices for public business and how information on such devices be stored and retained. Unions representing public employees should stay tuned for budding employer policies on these subjects.


You are here Achieving the New Vision for Agriculture: New Models for Action
The World Economic Forum’s New Vision for Agriculture serves as a platform to build collaboration among stakeholders to achieve a vision of agriculture as a driver of food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity. In the past three years, governments, business, farmers and civil society organizations have embraced and begun to implement this vision at global, regional and country levels. This report outlines the progress to date of partnerships catalysed by the New Vision for Agriculture, and the key challenges and next steps that must be addressed to realize the full potential of the multistakeholder partnership model.


A-Player profiles have unusually strong adaptability, learn very quickly and are strongly action-oriented. They have a tendency to succeed and progress easily, regardless of the environment in which they're likely to evolve.Find out more
IT Project Manager
Dynamic, creative and passionate, I make my skills and experience available for companies with similar profile and actively contribute to their growth, sustainability and profitability. 20 years experience in Transformation Programs, PMO and projects management.
Behaviors in the "Influence" category are linked to providing direction. They include developing a professional network, managing teams, making decisions and being motivated to get ideas across. These behaviors provide insight on a person's natural ability to mobilize others and the way they establish relationships.
Behaviors in the "Cooperate" category are linked to facilitating collective work. They include mediating interactions between people, solving conflict, making use of the team's resources, and providing support for others. These behaviors provide insight on a person's natural ability to evolve within a group.
Behaviors in the "Think" category are linked to conceiving projects. They include designing strategies, identifying project risks, evaluating tasks and activities, and contributing new ideas. These behaviors provide insight on a person's natural ability to process abstract rather than practical concepts.
Behaviors in the "Act" category are linked to obtaining results. They include launching projects, implementing action plans, monitoring outcomes, or controlling production quality. These behaviors provide insight on a person's natural ability to understand practical rather than abstract concepts.
Behaviors in the "Feel" category are linked to controlling one's emotions. They include managing stress, investing one's energy, and radiating a positive vibe. These behaviors provide insight on a person's natural ability to express and channel their emotions in different contexts.
Olivier Choquet is a natural leader with a conscientious approach — two complementary qualities which enable him to set the agenda for projects and successfully complete them. He analyzes things based on facts, paying special attention to the reliability of his decisions and his work. He is very strict when it comes to following procedures and is quick to remind coworkers to follow suit. He does his utmost to achieve the goals he sets for himself, even at the risk of undermining his relationships.
Olivier Choquet channels his energy almost exclusively towards the search for new challenges. He likes to keep things moving and usually ensures he is at the heart of the action. He needs to work at a fast pace that leaves no room for tedium. For him, taking risks is essential. Stability bores rather than reassures him.
Designing is an essential activity in which Olivier Choquet feels fully engaged. Contributing his imagination and ideas is crucial to him because he draws significant energy and passion from it. It is one of the key ways in which he finds satisfaction in his work.
Evaluating is an activity that highly suits Olivier Choquet in the sense that it requires an impartial approach and taking a strong stand on subjects. He enjoys challenging others' points of view and contributing his perspective. He likes being able to demonstrate independence in his judgement.
Olivier Choquet truly invests himself in the analysis of factual data. He enjoys drawing conclusions from rational elements. However, it is an activity that can also frustrate him because he has a strong need for approval, and this can sometimes conflict with the need to maintain an objective view of situations.
Olivier Choquet is an inspiring manager who focuses on his employees' personal development. He has clear roadmaps for each team member and positions himself as a mentor. As a manager, he rallies everyone towards a common goal while also taking individuality into account.
Olivier Choquet expects a manager to be inspiring and to focus on his development at a personal level. He needs to be managed by someone who sets clear roadmaps for him and acts as a mentor in whom he can trust. He is motivated by a leader who rallies the team towards a common goal, while also taking individuality into account.
Olivier Choquet seeks dynamic work environments geared towards results. He is best suited for company cultures that prioritize innovation by adopting a flexible approach to work: everyone is free to choose their own method as long as goals are met. He prefers environments that are reassessed often, and which evolve regularly to incorporate new work methodologies. He expects to be stimulated by his work environment and to be free from the constraints of routines. In short, he has little need for structure and is better served by a culture that values accomplishment.
Capacity to comprehend new and strategic subjects.
Tendency to move quickly from one task to the next, without lingering on obstacles.
Ability to progress by putting proven concepts to use.
Brilliant from an intellectual point of view, Olivier Choquet tends to easily assimilate foreign concepts. He is able to understand new or complex subjects without needing to put them into practice. This means he can develop his skills by researching and reading on diverse subjects. He needs to be intellectually stimulated by his work, and might get easily bored otherwise.
Careful in his approach, Olivier Choquet prefers to rely on proven strategies. He is observant and tends to adopt tried-and-true concepts that he can trust thoroughly. In this sense, he finds it easier to learn from information provided.


The services provided by credit union and other financial institutions are among the most frequently targeted when it comes to cyberattacks. And it might come as no surprise that money is a key motivator. In fact, a massive 92 percent of all attacks are estimated to be financially motivated—with espionage, grudges, fun, and ideology accounting for the remaining 8 percent. (1)
The rush to digitize during the Covid-19 pandemic left businesses globally vulnerable to a whole new range of threats—and the financial services industry has seen no exception. At the beginning of the pandemic the industry saw a 238 percent increase in cyberattacks, with ransomware increasing by 9 times. (2) And the hits have only kept on coming.
The answer is a Zero Trust approach centered around one simple concept: trust nothing and no one with access to your accounts, systems, and networks without continuous identity verification. To do this, institutions are turning to Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) solutions that manage the identities of each person accessing facilities, operational resources and customer services, both inside and outside any physical perimeter, including all employees and visitors.
Prerequisites for a Zero Trust Approach
A Zero Trust architecture requires continuous user authentication and monitoring using multiple factors, and the ability to only grant users access to the accounts and systems that they need for their roles.
PIAM solutions accomplish this by centralizing physical access management while also streamlining visitor processes. Institutions with a large, multi-location footprint – especially globally – find these solutions to be particularly beneficial, enabling them to manage physical access and the entire identity lifecycle of all employees, contractors, visitors and others that need to enter its facilities, anywhere in the world. These solutions must focus equally on the distinct requirements of both employees and non-employees.
Employee Considerations:
The first layer of defense is employees. Investing in cybersecurity solutions can become an overwhelming task. One of the first and most manageable steps for securing systems is managing employees’ access to facilities, networks, devices, etc. Today’s solutions use the proven multi-factor authentication (MFA) login method. Users must use two or more factors to authenticate their identities, which has been proven to prevent 99.9 percent of attacks. (3) MFA can be quick to deploy, integrates well with existing systems, and requires little to no end-user training. Many enterprise MFA solutions offer adaptive authentication, which means IT security admins can determine the level of security required based on the context of each login attempt.
PIAM solutions are also playing a big role in helping employees return to the office during the pandemic, either full-time or in a hybrid way. This is critical since insider threats are an increasingly prevalent challenge. Strong physical access security must complement digital identity and access management technologies. A common way to prove identity is by implementing a physical card which can be used as visual identification and physical access at barriers. The primary use is across the workforce but these cards can also be used to authenticate third parties and visitors.
To further improve both security and user convenience, it is also recommended that institutions implement the convergence of logical and physical access controls. This enables users to leverage one credential to access a range of digital (networks, devices, software) and physical assets (offices, facilities, buildings). This also means that permissions can be easily granted or revoked across all assets, depending on the level of access required by the employee.
Visitor Considerations:
Managing visitors and guests from the time they are invited to the time they leave is critical to the security of your organization. Organizations need to consider requirements beyond standard check-in and check-out workflows, across the complete visitation process, from pre-registration to post-visit guidance, plus real-time data, policies, compliance and more.
Today’s solutions create an efficient, smooth, and secure visitor experience when managing company visitors. They streamline scheduling, registration, credential issuance and badge printing, and provide detailed tracking and reporting of visitors and contractors. Features include: intuitive web-based portals for inviting and managing visitors; intelligent dashboards for real-time reporting on building capacities, visitor traffic, metrics and more; and pre-defined policies for visitor and access approvals, notifications, reminders and escalations. Additionally, these solutions also automate visitor provisioning into the Physical Access Control System (PACS) infrastructure, and support background checks against internal and external watchlists, among other capabilities.
These solutions have also been extended to accommodate new operational models including digital self-service kiosks that can be placed in the lobby. The kiosks create a digital lobby that, in many cases, might see hundreds of people passing through it each day.
PIAM in Action
One institution that took the PIAM approach is a leading global operation that needed a solution for managing its workforce identities and facilities access, and a way to provide smooth and secure access for visitors.
The solutions were deployed across 40 of the institution’s locations – including offices, data centers, and branches – in multiple languages and countries. Fully aligned with GDPR, the deployment has simplified compliance, reporting and auditing while also improving security by providing the institution with insight into who is present at office and branch locations. Automated access revocation has reduced risk of inappropriate access.
Additionally, the solution has reduced manual processes and improved resource allocations by orchestrating PIAM functions across disparate PACS equipment and other systems. This has eliminated repetitive, manual processes across various groups.
Beyond these benefits for the institution’s workforce, the PIAM solution has enabled a re-Imagined visitor experience that, like the workforce solution, replaced several manual human processes. The solution has created consistent visitor policies and enforcement across the organization, regardless of PACS, and also centralized badging and credentialing. This has allowed for standardization of controls while enabling employees to self-manage access to streamline issuance wherever possible.
The visitor management solution has also been integrated with digital front lobby kiosks in several of the institution’s UK offices. The kiosks include voice activation and a motion sensor for a touchless experience, as well as integration with maps for wayfinding to meeting rooms and destinations. Other capabilities include room and desk booking, and a virtual concierge for face-to-face video support from external staff. The kiosks can also provide post-visit information about weather updates, nearby points of interest and best routes home, and even enable visitors to call for and arrange taxi service, book food delivery, and leave feedback about their visit experience.
The number of locations for kiosk deployment will be expanded as the project matures, and the overall solution will also be integrated with many additional systems and new solutions. For now, the institution has loaded more than 385,000 identities into the system, including 225,000 for employees and 60,000 for non-employees. The deployment spans more than 800 managed-access areas ranging from common and non-restricted locations to restricted and highly restricted ones. Two integrations with other access control systems have been completed and the institution plans to complete two more.
Today’s PIAM solutions are a key tool for implementing the Zero Trust model, including meeting its requirements for using multiple authentication factors and ensuring users can only access the accounts and systems that they need for their roles. These solutions are playing a key role in bringing workers back to both traditional and hybrid workplaces during the pandemic, while also transforming the visitor experience through innovations including the integration of digital kiosks into a new and more effective lobby environment.
About the Author Matthew Lewis, Director of Product Marketing Matthew Lewis is the Director of Product Marketing for HID Global helping drive the go to market for the Workforce business unit within the Identity and Access Management Solutions business area. He has led product marketing organizations for five years with experience in both vertical and horizontal global markets. Prior to joining HID, he spent time at a global software provider in the energy sector, in the collaboration and communication software space, and marketing cybersecurity products at Entrust. https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/ dbir/ https://blog.bio-key.com/three-major-securitychallenges-finance-avoid https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2019/08/20/ one-simple-action-you-can-take-to-prevent-99-9-percent-ofaccount-attacks


For over a decade, accountant Walter Burien has been trying to rouse the public over what he contends is a massive conspiracy and cover-up, involving trillions of dollars squirreled away in funds maintained at every level of government. His numbers may be disputed, but these funds definitely exist, as evidenced by the Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) required of every government agency. If they don’t represent a concerted government conspiracy, what are they for? And how can they be harnessed more efficiently to help allay the financial crises of state and local governments?
The Elusive CAFR Money


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A heated debate is raging in the Democratic Party, which is undecided between removing the ceiling on SALT (State and Local Tax) deductions or allowing the ceiling to remain at $10,000.
SALT deductions allow taxpayers to deduct the payment of certain state and local taxes from their federal taxes. Under current law, taxpayers can deduct up to $10,000 in federal taxes for payments already made for other local taxes such as property tax, value-added tax, and state income taxes.
Prior to President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, there was no maximum amount in the value of taxes that could be deducted under SALT. In theory, SALT deductions exist to offset some of the taxpayer’s liability for taxes that have already been paid to state and local governments.
In fact, prior to President Trump’s tax reform 91% of the benefits of SALT deductions were claimed by individuals with incomes over $100,000 a year and were concentrated in six states – California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
A Joint Committee on Taxation document showed the SALT deductions cost the federal government approximately $24.4 billion in 2020. According to the Tax Foundation, Democratic states that have benefited the most from SALT deductions.
The Democratic Party divided between keeping the SALT deduction cap or removing it
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) argues that SALT deductions violate the principle of tax neutrality because they disproportionately benefit high-income taxpayers, especially in states with high marginal income taxes such as New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and California.
Other members of the Democratic Party, concerned about the high tax rates in place for the wealthiest citizens, view SALT as necessary to prevent thousands of investors from migrating to lower-tax states.
Democratic Party representatives such as Bill Pascrell and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Tom Suozzi of New York have said they will not support President Joe Biden’s American Jobs plan unless the $10,000 ceiling on SALT deductions is removed.
Republicans have advocated keeping the deductions, believing that the deductions disproportionately benefit wealthier Democratic states, while their benefits in economic growth are limited.
According to the Tax Foundation, lifting the SALT deductions would not benefit the bottom 40% of the population, and the increase in middle-class income would be only 0.01%.
According to the Tax Policy Center, the tax benefits would be 96% concentrated on higher-income individuals, while the lower-income population would see no benefit from removing the ceiling on SALT tax deductions.
According to the Senate Joint Committee on Taxation fully restoring SALT deductions and eliminating the current ceiling would cost the U.S. Treasury approximately $88.7 billion by 2021 alone.
Repealing the SALT tax deduction ceiling is unlikely to be possible in an individual bill, which is why some Democrats are pressuring the White House to include such a repeal in one of President Joe Biden’s mega public spending plans.
Economist, writer and liberal. With a focus on finance, the war on drugs, history, and geopolitics // Economista, escritor y liberal. Con enfoque en finanzas, guerra contra las drogas, historia y geopolítica


One of the fundamental building blocks of psychodynamic psychology is the idea that deepdown in our psyche we harbour uncomfortable and repulsive unconscious desires whichoriginate in childhood. However, the majority of humankind does not act on these wishes andinstead acts in ways that are not only socially acceptable but which are frequentlyconstructive and aesthetically pleasing. These primeval urges have their origins in earlychildhood according to thinkers like Melanie Klein (1929) and Sigmund Freud (1923)amongst others. According to such psychodynamic theorists, the frustrations originating inchildhood never completely subside. However, in the reconciliation of these dissatisfactions,the resulting energy can be transformed into the undertaking of creative endeavours. Thoughwe are ultimately fated not to get what we want in early childhood, these desires may find asubstitute in various creative modes of jouissance


In a business ecosystem, different companies collaborate along and across previously sacrosanct industry barriers, encouraging innovation and the development of groundbreaking new products and services.
Design Thinking for Business Growth delivers an eye-opening, fresh approach to designing and scaling business models and ecosystems. In this book, CFFO Senior Expert Michael Lewrick delivers a comprehensive procedural model for the design, development, and implementation of business ecosystems. He also presents the most critical design methods and tools you’ll need to make your own ecosystem a success.


A one-year-old cat weighs between 3lbs and 5lbs when they reach maturity. They’re a little lighter after their first year, but not that much. That’s because cats only gain about 0.5 lbs a year from the time they are weaned until maturity. Have you seen the new cat food formula? A new study from Purdue University came out this week showing that even a 1-year-old cat needs to take in twice their weight in food each day. That comes out to roughly 3 full bag of dry food (18 lb) each day. Now these cats aren’t just fat – but there are several other surprising facts about this study that you may have never known…
The truth is that cats in general and food deductions in cats particularly are not considered end of year treats. If a cat has had excellent nutrition, he will tip the scales at around 2 pounds. Cats that have had good nutrition grow in weight slowly and so weigh approximately the same as a human being of 3 years old.
Knowing how much a cat should weigh is a common question for cat owners. Fortunately, determining a cat’s ideal weight is simple. The vet will first examine the cat and determine its ideal body weight. Then he will calculate its Body Condition Score, which reflects its overall health and physical condition. Once you know this number, you can use it to keep track of your cat’s weight and health.
A domestic cat typically weighs between eight and 15 pounds, although a female may weigh up to 20 pounds. A pound or two gain can make a big difference in a cat’s weight. Because cats vary so widely in size, weight estimates can be misleading. A Siamese, for example, weighs less than half a pound, while a Main Coon can weigh more than twenty-five pounds.
The ideal weight for a one-year-old cat is between seven and twelve pounds, depending on the breed, age, and gender. The average weight of a healthy cat is seven to 12 pounds, but this is not a fixed number. There are several factors that can influence a cat’s weight. To get an accurate estimate of a cat’s ideal weight, consult a veterinarian.
The weight of a cat reaches a peak between six and ten years old. A male’s peak weight is higher than a female’s. And neutered cats are typically heavier than their unaltered counterparts. In general, four common purebred cats reach their maximum weight between six and ten years of age. The average for a common domestic cat is eight. And the weight of a male can vary significantly from its female counterpart.
The weight of a domestic cat is ten pounds or more. However, this number can vary significantly between breeds. While the average weight of a domestic cat is around 10 pounds, a Siamese cat may weigh five pounds. On the other hand, a Maine Coon can be up to 25lbs. This range is the ideal weight for a cat, so a veterinarian’s visit is the best source of information.
While a healthy cat should weigh between seven to twelve pounds, the weight of a Siamese cat may be smaller than the weight of a Maine Coon. A Domestic Shorthair cat will weigh anywhere from five to twenty-five pounds. The average weight of a domestic shorthair cat is about nine pounds. A Singapura cat will not grow any more than two pounds. A female Singapura cat will be a year older than a female Maine Coon.
The average healthy weight of a domestic cat is seven to twelve pounds. While this is the recommended weight of a cat, it can also vary based on its gender. A Singapura will weigh between four and eight pounds. A Maine Coon should weigh between ten and fifteen pounds. A Domestic Shorthair should be between six and nine pounds. If you’re considering getting a new cat, you’ll want to consider the size and breed.
The BCS of a cat is an indicator of how fat it is. This is an important measurement for an adult cat because it helps determine whether it is healthy. In addition to its age, a healthy adult male or female should weigh about 11 pounds. A female should weigh about 7 pounds if it’s overweight. In addition to this, a good cat should be weighed. A small kitten should be weighing seven pounds to nine pounds.
A healthy domestic cat should weigh between 10 and 15 pounds. Some cats may be much smaller than their littermate or will grow larger than the other. The weight of a cat can vary widely from breed to breed. A male Siamese will weigh five pounds, while a Maine Coon will be around twenty-five pounds. For a kitten, the ideal weight will depend on its gender, age, and the number of other cats in the household.


Report
The COVID-19 pandemic caused enormous disruptions to PK-12 school systems, including long-held beliefs about teaching and learning.
After several months of unexpected virtual and hybrid learning, some school systems have emerged with a new understanding of the instructional core. Commonly thought of as the relationships between teacher, student, and instructional materials that support student learning, these leaders have expanded their understanding of the instructional core to include families.
CPRL Report
Despite enormous disruptions in education during the COVID-19 pandemic, changes brought on by pandemic learning led to critical lessons learned and academic breakthroughs that school districts and others can leverage to benefit students, according to new research released by the Center for Public Research and Leadership(CPRL)
. Fundamental 4: Pandemic Learning Reveals the Value of High-Quality Instructional Materials to Educator-Family-Student Partnerships reveals possibilities for sustained partnership between schools and families moving forward.
Leading Educators contributed to this research effort as a partner to the study sites.
The researchers found that digitally accessible high-quality instructional materials designed to bring families and educators together increased student learning and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, high-quality instructional materials are strongest and most impactful when dimensions of “high-quality” are expanded from being aligned to standards to also include being
tech enabled, culturally responsive and sustaining, and designed to enhance families’ ability to guide student learning and instruction. High-quality instructional materials that include these additional attributes drive good teaching and enable teachers to spend more time daily on high-impact activities like engaging with families rather than low-impact activities like creating curriculum from scratch. High-quality instructional materials become a more powerful and effective teaching tool when they are designed to foster close coordination and collaboration between teachers, parents and students. It is enriching for students, especially students from low-income households and students of color, to have access to high-quality instructional materials designed to support academic partnership between teachers and families.
The findings show that a good use of federal relief funds includes investment in high-quality instructional materials and curriculum-based professional learning focused on teaching skills because they can lead to improved academic outcomes.


A new class of quantum dots deliver a stable stream of single, spectrally tunable infrared photons under ambient conditions and at room temperature, unlike other single photon emitters. This breakthrough opens a range of practical applications, including quantum communication, quantum metrology, medical imaging and diagnostics, and clandestine labeling.
“The demonstration of high single-photon purity in the infrared has immediate utility in areas such as quantum key distribution for secure communication,” said Victor Klimov, lead author of a paper published today in
Nature Nanotechnology by Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists.
The Los Alamos team has developed an elegant approach to synthesizing the colloidal-nanoparticle structures derived from their prior work on visible light emitters based on a core of cadmium selenide encased in a cadmium sulfide shell. By inserting a mercury sulfide interlayer at the core/shell interface, the team turned the quantum dots into highly efficient emitters of infrared light that can be tuned to a specific wavelength.


Stepping outside the foray of opinions, which may or may not be based on expertise, allows for observational considerations.
During the pre-Covid period of healthcare, we have been faced with occasional medical priorities, having a limited yet significant impact on the needs of affected individuals, but generally not resulting in global social changes in our lifestyles, social interactions, and interpersonal behaviors. A mutating and continuously changing form of a coronavirus class respiratory pathogen has influenced the management of infectious illness in both direct and indirect manners.
Before the “COVID” term was known to the world, few even knew what a coronavirus was or that it was one of the multiple causes of annual respiratory tract infections. It is incredible that if you asked elementary students to draw a picture of the virus, they could easily do so, representing the round virus particle and spike protein extensions. It is equally impressive that many of us have home tests to diagnose infections using antigen-sensing technologies not previously available rapidly.
The pandemic has required us to isolate, take preventative measures such as mask-wearing and enhanced hygienic behaviors, and limit our exposures outside our immediate family. Outside of healthcare workers, very few had even heard of an N95 mask. Gloves, gowns, and masks harkened back to images of the bubonic plague and the Spanish Influenza when the only way to deal with public health emergencies was to avoid transmission. The observation that during the two-to-three-year period of enhanced respiratory precautions, there were deficient levels of seasonal respiratory infections like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, rhino/enterovirus, and adenovirus was only expected to say the least. When people are not intermingling socially or in schools and are wearing masks and constantly cleaning their hands and surfaces, they are employing basic public health measures to mitigate disease transmission regardless of its nature. Our immune system responses to illness are exquisite in responsiveness and adaptability. However, it can be diluted with time and decrease its effectiveness.
Over the past three years, we have had reduced exposure to these respiratory pathogens, which typically remind our immune system that they still represent threats to our health. YET, we are amazed at how many adults and children are afflicted with infectious agents this fall and how the doctor’s offices, Urgent Care Centers, Emergency Rooms, and hospitals are now overwhelmed. We have dealt with these illnesses for many years, but the difference now is that more individuals are immunologically vulnerable.
Additionally, COVID variants continue to evolve, which we “chase” with new versions of vaccines, which are being fabricated after the fact. I agree that we cannot still prevent initial rhino-pharyngeal infection with a nasal form of a vaccine directed towards primary infection. Fortunately, the currently utilized mRNA-based vaccines have effectively prevented systemic risk severity. However, these, too, are limited in their application due to misinformation or acceptance or availability in some parts of our world.
Using general, effective isolation and hygienic methods such as masking, contact avoidance or limitations, and diligent personal hygiene would make a tremendous difference this season. However, we are also suffering from mandate fatigue, conspiratorial beliefs, and a need to return to what we remember as normalcy. So in the meantime, healthcare workers at all levels will continue to care for those in need, adjust to the healthcare requirements of those who are ill, and persevere as professionals do. I hope their efforts are recognized, appreciated, and never taken for granted.
To isolate or not isolate. That is the question. What do you think?


Data is the “dark matter” of M&A events. Data is made even more important with widespread digital transformations of processes, predictive analytics, and advanced machine learning. During an M&A event, the cascading challenges to leverage these siloed data innovations across Industry 4.0 ecosystems requires a framework that moves beyond the prescriptive, one-size-fits-all strategy.


Over the past year, Abbott Medical Optics (AMO) has established a leading share position in the US PC-IOL market, driven by the new low-add-power Tecnis Multifocal IOLs. Outside the US, the early success of the Tecnis Symfony Extended Range of Vision IOL has also contributed to market share gains. A large European multicenter post-market study of Symfony, involving more than 600 patients, has confirmed excellent visual outcomes with this lens.
Leonard Borrmann, divisional vice president of R&D for AMO, noted that Abbott’s approach across the Tecnis Multifocal family is to provide a range of IOL options to meet diverse patient needs, delivering high-quality vision (20/25 or better) throughout the full range of distance, intermediate, and near. With respect to enhanced functionality for patients, the low-add-power Tecnis Multifocal +2.75 D IOL delivers full and partial spectacle independence in 61% and 38% of patients, respectively. More than 90% of patients with this lens report no difficulty with night vision, similar to a Tecnis monofocal IOL, and 97% of patients report that they would choose to have the same IOL again. Beyond improving multifocal IOL technology, Abbott is also working to expand the premium channel through surgeon training and education, patient awareness programs, and creation of new premium IOL categories, such as extended range of vision.
Presenter: Leonard Borrmann
Leonard joined Abbott as Divisional Vice President R&D, in February 2009, with the acquisition of Advanced Medical Optics. During his five years with Advanced Medical Optics, he held positions of increasing responsibility in R&D concluding with Executive Vice President R&D.


This study documents a pharmacokinetic interaction between carbamazepine and cyclosporine (CsA) in pediatric renal transplant recipients. Noncompartmental steady-state CsA pharmacokinetics were determined in three pediatric renal transplant recipients who were receiving both CsA and carbamazepine as long-term therapy (carbamazepine group) and in three matched renal transplant subjects who were not receiving carbamazepine (control group). Even though the mean daily dosage of CsA was consistently higher in the carbamazepine group than in the control group (16.2 mg/kg/24 hrs vs 10.8 mg/kg/24 hrs, respectively), the predose trough CsA blood concentrations were significantly lower in the carbamazepine group (57 ng/ml vs 162 ng/ml, respectively; p = 0.0023). Mean average steady-state blood concentrations of CsA (Cav) per mg of CsA administered were less than 50% in the carbamazepine group compared with the control group. This reflects either an induction of CsA hepatic metabolism or a reduced systemic bioavailability (possible induction of pre-hepatic metabolism) by concurrent use of carbamazepine.


Projects per year
Abstract
Despite the potential therapeutic relevance of group II metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors, there has been a lack of pharmacological tools for separating the roles of mGlu2 and mGlu3 receptor subtypes. LY541850 was claimed from human mGlu receptors expressed in non-neuronal cells to be a selective orthosteric mGlu2 agonist and mGlu3 antagonist. We have verified this pharmacological profile of LY541850 in hippocampal slices. Field excitatory post-synaptic potentials (fEPSPs) evoked by stimulation of the temporo-ammonic path (TAP) input to CA1 stratum lacunosum moleculare (SLM) were inhibited by LY541850 in mGlu3-/- mice (EC50 38 nM) and wild-type littermates (EC50 42 nM) to a similar extent but were not significantly affected in mGlu2-/- mice. The group II agonist, DCG-IV, inhibited the fEPSP in all three genotypes. Co-application of DCG-IV and LY541850 in mGlu3-/- and wild-type littermates resulted in an additive effect, whereas in mGlu2-/- mice, LY541850 reversed the inhibitory action of DCG-IV. These results confirm the selective mGlu2 agonist and mGlu3 antagonist actions of LY541850. A similar profile of activity was seen in medial perforant path synapse to the dentate gyrus. Systemic administration of LY541850 to wild-type mice, reduced the increase in locomotor activity following both phencyclidine and amphetamine administration. These data support the hypothesis that mGlu2 receptors mediate the antipsychotic effects of mixed group II agonists.
This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors'. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Translated title of the contribution Differentiating the roles of mGlu2 and mGlu3 receptors using LY541850, an mGlu2 agonist/mGlu3 antagonist Original language English Pages (from-to) 114-121 Number of pages 8 Journal Neuropharmacology Volume 66 DOIs Publication status Published - Mar 2013 Keywords Metabotropic glutamate receptors mGlu2 mGlu3 Temporo-ammonic pathway Phencyclidine Amphetamine Hyperlocomotion METABOTROPIC GLUTAMATE RECEPTORS CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM PERFORANT PATH INPUTS GROUP-II PHARMACOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION ANTIPSYCHOTIC ACTIVITY DENTATE GYRUS ACID LY354740 IN-VIVO POTENT FingerprintDive into the research topics of 'Differentiating the roles of mGlu2 and mGlu3 receptors using LY541850, an mGlu2 agonist/mGlu3 antagonist'. Together they form a unique fingerprint. Projects 1 Finished
Collingridge, G. L.
1/01/08 → 1/04/13
Project: Research


A recent Appellate Division decision provides a useful discussion of how to determine when a request under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) is “overly broad.” As highlighted in
Wronko v. Township of Jackson, et al ., not all blanket requests may be denied under OPRA.
Facts of the Case
Plaintiff Steven Wronko filed an OPRA request seeking “[c]opies of all attorney invoices for Jackson Township from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015,” and “[c]opies of all litigation settlement agreements from January 1, 2010 through December 19, 2015 for Holmdel Township.” Defendant Township of Jackson denied the request because plaintiff did not identify a specific case or matter. Wronko subsequently filed suit under the Open Public Records Act. However, the trial judge agreed with the municipality and dismissed the complaint.
On appeal, Wronko argued that his request was valid pursuant to
Burnett v. County of Gloucester, 415 N.J. Super. 506 (App. Div. 2010), in which the Appellate Division upheld an OPRA request for all settlements, releases and similar documents entered into by a government agency in a specific time period, even though the requestor failed to cite any specific cases. Wronko further maintained that his request was sufficiently clear and not overly broad. Appellate Division’s Decision
The Appellate Division reversed. In its per curium opinion, the court stated that it agreed with the plaintiff “in every respect.”
In reaching its decision, the appeals court acknowledged that blanket requests for unspecified documents are not proper under OPRA. Rather, a requestor should identify the subject matter of the type of document sought.
“We have determined requests that identified a specific subject matter with sufficient identifying information were not overly broad even where a custodian was required to search and locate records according to a specific topic area,” the panel further explained. Specifically citing
Burnett, it also noted that it previously held that OPRA permitted a request for “[a]ny and all settlements, releases or similar documents entered into, approved or accepted from [January 1, 2006] to present.”
The Appellate Division also highlighted that the court previously permitted an OPRA request for documents relating to E-ZPass benefits provided to Port Authority retirees because it “was confined to a specific subject matter that was clearly and reasonably described with sufficient identifying information.” As the court further explained, these permissible requests “did not require a custodian to exercise discretion, survey employees, or conduct research; rather, the responsive records were self-evident.”
With these principles in mind, the court ultimately determined that the plaintiff’s OPRA request complied with the statute and governing case law.
For more information about the Appellate Division’s OPRA decision or the legal issues involved, we encourage you to contact a member of Scarinci Hollenbeck’s Government Law Group .


Frozen Shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is an inflammatory condition affecting the shoulder joint capsule. It occurs in about 5% of the population and is more common in females between 40 and 60. Most cases occur without a cause. However, some cases start after a fall onto the shoulder. Other triggers include recent surgery and medical conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disease. Often, we perform a steroid injection for frozen Shoulder to reduce severe pain and improve movement. What is a frozen shoulder injection, and when should you use it?
What are the typical findings of frozen shoulder?
A frozen shoulder usually presents with pain and stiffness in the shoulder. Initially, people report increasing pain, followed by shoulder stiffness or restriction of movement. Often, people find that simple movement such as brushing hair or removing a bra becomes difficult. Sleep also becomes a problem because of pain.
How do we diagnose frozen shoulder?
Generally, a painful and stiff shoulder is the usual presentation. However, it is essential to rule out other causes of shoulder pain and stiffness, such as arthritis or tendon calcification. This situation is where further investigations such as X-rays are crucial. For more complex cases, imaging such as ultrasound or MRI may be needed.
Will this frozen shoulder get better on its own?
Usually, most cases get better after 18-24 months. However, recent studies suggest that some people can have symptoms beyond two years and even ten years.
What are the best treatment options?
In general, there is a lack of agreement on the best treatments. Firstly, there is no evidence that tablets such as steroids or anti-inflammatories are effective. Secondly, physiotherapy such as stretching and strengthening is an integral part of treatment and effective in milder cases. However, there is no agreement on the best type of physiotherapy. In serve cases, a cortisone injection for frozen shoulder can help.
More about frozen shoulder injection
Generally, injections for frozen shoulder are effective in the early stages to reduce pain. A recent high-level study found that frozen shoulder injections improve pain for up to 4 months. A frozen shoulder hydrodistension injection, a procedure using a high volume of water combined with cortisone, is sometimes effective. However, we are unsure whether a frozen shoulder hydrodilatation injection is better than a simple cortisone injection. In general, we suggest a simple steroid injection for frozen shoulder for the early stages and hydrodilatation for the latter stages. Moreover, we think a steroid injection for frozen shoulder should always be done with ultrasound to improve accuracy.
Platelet-rich plasma or PRP injections are used for various musculoskeletal conditions. In a study comparing PRP to cortisone injections in frozen shoulder, PRP showed a more significant reduction in pain and improved movement. We need more investigations to determine whether PRP is more effective than cortisone in frozen shoulder. However, the early results are promising and suggest that we could use PRP as a replacement for cortisone.
Is surgery a good option for a Frozen shoulder?
Surgery also called a capsular release, is only helpful for persistent cases. You must remember that surgery has risks and is not always successful. A recent study suggests that surgery outcomes for frozen shoulder are equal to physiotherapy but have serious adverse effects of 4-5%. Overall, your decision regarding surgery should not be taken lightly.
Final word from Sportdoctorlondon
A combination of treatments for Frozen Shoulder exists, depending on the stage. In the early phases, we prefer an ultrasound-guided Frozen Shoulder injection followed by gentle stretching and strengthening of the shoulder. For later stages, frozen shoulder hydrodistension injection is helpful. Most cases settle without the need for surgery. The most important part of the treatment is to ensure that the diagnosis is correct. Therefore, you should always see a doctor with expertise in shoulders and performs injections under ultrasound.
Other common shoulder conditions:


Starting in September, cannabis stores in Alberta will be able to sell up to 15% of their inventory as cannabis apparel and accessories.
While online sales began earlier this year, changes relating to non-cannabis products were not yet in place. The change comes into effect on September 1, according to an internal guidance document shared with StratCann.
The updated policy for cannabis-prescribed things includes items like retailer-branded t-shirts, hats and other apparel, retailer-branded items, including things such as insulated mugs or water bottles, cannabis-themed magazines, books and recipes; as well as items used to grow legal personal cannabis such as plant pots and gardening tools.
The change is the final piece of regulatory changes that were part of Alberta’s Bill 80, the Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act, 2021, and included language that would dismantle the AGLC’s own online cannabis sales platform, allowing private retailers to fill this role instead and to carry additional cannabis-related items like branded apparel.
The change will remove section 4.3.1 from the AGLC’s Retail Cannabis Store Handbook which currently only allows for cannabis or cannabis accessories to be sold in a cannabis store.
It then replaces that section with the allowances for apparel, licensee-branded items, and items used to grow cannabis. It also includes language to specifically allow cannabis stores to also carry products like rolling papers, pipes, and bongs, as well as rolling trays, grinders, ashtrays, lighters, and matches. However, these items were not explicitly disallowed prior.
Retailers StratCann spoke with off record said they have been carrying all of these types of items for some time, and have not faced enforcement for it.


The Yidan Prize Foundation is looking for innovators who are making a significant impact in education. The foundation awards two prizes annually to individuals and teams of up to three in two key areas: education research and education development.
Nominations for the 2023 Yidan Prize will close on March 31. More details about the nomination process is available at – yidanprize.org/the-prize/nominations/
Laureates will receive a gold medal and a total sum of HK$30 million, shared equally for teams. Half of this is a cash prize in recognition of their contribution to education. The other half is a project fund to help them scale and grow their work, whether it be to expand their reach, launch a new project or enhance the delivery of existing programs.
The 2023 Yidan Prize laureates will become part of the Yidan Council of Luminaries — a gathering of the brightest minds in education who come together to exchange ideas, build bridges between research and practice, and act as a collective voice to address some of the biggest challenges facing education today.


Over the past decade, Canada emerged as a promising global location for drug discovery and biotech business, especially when it comes to applying advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing in life sciences.
The technological focus of the country’s economic strategy is reflected, for instance, in the local popularity of such organizations as the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), which celebrates 40 years since its foundation in 2022. CIFAR is gaining the support of multiple individuals, organizations, and the governmental bodies of Canada -- in Alberta and Quebec. For example, in 2017, the government of Canada gave a lead to CIFAR in developing the $125M Pan-Canadian AI Strategy. According to their vision, by 2030, Canada could have one of the most robust national AI ecosystems worldwide.
In our recent article Toronto’s Blossoming AI-driven Drug Discovery Scene we explored a vibrant AI community of Toronto with several notable artificial intelligence companies in drug discovery, including Cyclica, ProteinQure, Deep Genomics, Phenomic AI, and others. The city appears to be a leading hub in the region, fueled in part by the presence of the University of Toronto and its tech community.
BenchSci is a Google-backed tech company redefining how e-commerce should work in the life sciences. At the beginning of 2022, BenchSci completed a Series C funding round with C$63 million led by Inovia Capital and TCV. BenchSci is expected to further expand its AI-powered software platform, tailored as a reagent and model systems selection algorithm.
Founded in 2013, Cyclica is a Toronto-based neo-biotech focusing on proteome-wide AI-enabled computing. They developed two machine learning engines: MatchMaker and POEM, where the first one predicts the polypharmacology of small molecules. At the same time, POEM (Pareto Optimal Embedding Model) is a similarity-based property prediction model. In February 2022, Cyclica launched Perturba Therapeutics, a spin-out from the University of Toronto focused on AI-enabled oncology drug design.
The development of cell and gene therapies also does not stand still in Canada. Contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) OmniaBio Inc., a subsidiary of the Toronto-based Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), specializes in producing gene-modified cell therapies and viral vectors. According to the news of spring 2022, Ontario province would invest up to $40M to create a new manufacturing facility for OmniaBio at Hamilton’s McMaster Innovation Park. The money is raised through Invest Ontario, the province’s investment attraction agency, taking part in the general project investment of over $580M.
Additionally, in July 2022, a South Korea-based Medipost acquired an interest in OmniaBio, paying cash $30 million and investing an additional $60M, followed by the NGen’s contribution of $10.5 million in September 2022.
Founded in Toronto, BlueRock Therapeutics focuses on cell therapies, having therapeutic candidates at the clinical trials stage. As an example, the cell therapy for Parkison's disease BRT-DA01 entered the open-label Phase 1 study in June 2022, marked with the completed enrollment in the study. Bayer acquired the company in 2019, and now it functions as Bayer’s subsidiary.
It should be noted that Toronto is not the only place to be in tech-savvy biology research and entrepreneurship in Canada. For example, a notable company from British Columbia in the area of quantum computing is D-Wave, which is developing practical applications for real-world problems, including pharmaceutical research. In the exclusive interview with BiopharmaTrend: How D-Wave Brings Quantum Computing Into Biology, Murray Thom, VP of Software and Cloud Services at D-Wave, gave many insights into how quantum computing works and how it is practically applied for drug development purposes. In February 2022, the company went public via SPAC route. Importantly, D-Wave was supported by several grants from the Canadian government for a total of around $50 million, along with other investors.
Another notable Vancouver-based company, a clinical-stage biotech AbCellera, made headlines in 2020 when it closed the biggest-ever initial public offering by a Canadian biotechnology company raising US$555.5 million in gross proceeds, more than double the prior record for a Canadian biotech IPO, by Montreal’s Repare Therapeutics in June of the same year. AbCellera created an end-to-end antibody discovery platform enabled by advanced machine learning algorithms.
In May 2020, AbCellera received $175.6 million from the government of Canada to discover solutions for COVID-19 and build a manufacturing facility for antibody drugs.
The role of venture capital firms and business accelerators should not be undervalued in Canada’s life science community. For instance, Vancouver-based adMare BioInnovations is a global life sciences venture which is enhancing the biotech ecosystem growth in Canada. In September 2022, they announced a new partnership with Genome Canada, aiming to support the commercialization of genomics solutions in healthcare. Notably, adMare is also not left aside without governmental support: in March 2022 Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada announced a $92 million investment in adMare Bio Innovations to help translate promising health research into commercialized therapies. With the innovation centers in Vancouver and Montreal, multiple stakeholders can get adMare’s scientific expertise, research infrastructure, and business development support.
Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the landscape of the Canadian Life Science sector. In October 2022, the government announced C$11.1 million in funding for mRNA vaccine technology development at the University of British Columbia. The funding is sourced through the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan) to enhance the delivery and efficacy of mRNA vaccines. One of the projects will receive C$3.5 million of PacifiCan support to improve vaccine uptake in the human body. The rest of the funding was secured for addressing the emerging COVID-19 variants, preventing their further spreading.
"PacifiCan is committed to supporting British Columbia’s life sciences sector, and these projects at the University of British Columbia reflect that commitment. Establishing a home-grown pipeline for mRNA vaccine research will not only save lives but create jobs for British Columbians and position Canada as a global leader in biotechnology innovation,” commented the Minister of International Development Harjit S. Sajjan
At the same time, in April 2022, it was announced that Montreal will become a host of a new Moderna vaccine production and research facility. It is expected to open in 2024 and give 200 to 300 new job places, as well as additional R&D capacities. The announcement was made at McGill University in Montreal, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also mentioned the potential of mRNA technology for not only COVID-19 but also Alzheimer’s and cancer treatment.
The growing dynamics of the local life science industry are fueled by the favorable Canadian tech environment with early programs and funding provided by multiple research institutes and councils, as well as hundreds of government investment programs with private sector initiatives. Last but not least, the government also offers grant programs and start-up visas for overseas entrepreneurs who want to launch their companies in Canada, thereby stimulating professional immigration to Canada.


The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed a set of comprehensive national prerequisite training standards for entry-level commercial truck and bus operators seeking to obtain a commercial driver’s license. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking reflects consensus recommendations of a negotiated rulemaking committee comprised of FMCSA representatives and 25 stakeholders and responds to a Congressional mandate imposed under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. Public comment is sought as the next phase of the rulemaking.
“Well-trained drivers are safer drivers, which leads to greater safety for our families and friends on highways and roads,” said United States Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “With the help of our partners, today’s proposal serves as a major step toward ensuring that commercial vehicle drivers receive the necessary training required to safely operate a large truck or motor coach.
Under the proposal, applicants seeking a Class A CDL, necessary for operating a combination tractor-trailer type vehicle weighing 26,001 pounds or more, would be required to obtain a minimum 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training from an instructional program that meets FMCSA standards, including a minimum of 10 hours operating the vehicle on a practice driving range.
Applicants seeking a “Class B” CDL, necessary for operating a heavy straight truck (such as a dump truck or box truck) or a school bus, city transit bus or motor coach, would be required to obtain a minimum of 15 hours of behind-the-wheel training, including a minimum of seven hours of practice range training.
There is no proposed minimum number of hours that driver trainees must spend on the classroom portions of any of the individual curricula.
“A diverse group of commercial motor vehicle stakeholders completed a tremendous amount of work, and that effort resulted in an unprecedented consensus,” said FMCSA Acting Administrator Scott Darling. “We’ve designated 2016 as our ‘Year of Partnerships’ and these comprehensive entry-level driver training standards exemplify our commitment to working closely with our safety partners, including state and local law enforcement, the safety advocacy community, and all other stakeholders to reduce crashes and to save lives.”
Mandatory, comprehensive training in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories would apply to the following individuals under the proposal: first-time CDL applicants; current CDL holders seeking a license upgrade or an additional endorsement; and a previously disqualified CDL holder seeking to reacquire a license.
These individuals would be subject to the proposed entry-level driver training requirements and must complete a course of instruction provided by an entity that: meets the minimum qualifications for training providers; covers the curriculum; is listed on FMCSA’s proposed Trainer Provider Registry; and submits electronically to FMCSA the training certificate for each individual who completes the training.
Under the proposal, military drivers, farmers and firefighters would continue to remain generally exempt from the federal CDL requirements.
FMCSA’s Entry-Level Driver Training Advisory Committee met for six two-day negotiating sessions starting in February 2015 until reaching consensus in May 2015. The ELDTAC included FMCSA representatives from motor carrier transportation, highway safety, driving training, state licensing, law enforcement, labor union and insurance organizations.


If you're going overseas and would like to know how to finalise your tax position, you can find this in our section about international tax for individuals leaving New Zealand.
When leaving New Zealand, there are other programmes that you may have to update. These have timeframes different to your tax obligations and you'll need to keep in mind when they change.
Student loans
While living in New Zealand long-term, your student loan is interest free. Once you leave the country for around 5 out of 6 months, you'll generally be charged interest, starting from the day after you first left.
What happens to my student loan when I go overseas?
You may want to set up a nominated person before you leave New Zealand. They'll be able to talk to us about your loan while you're overseas.
KiwiSaver
How you manage your KiwiSaver when moving overseas will depend on where you're moving, how long you're moving for, and what you want to do with your funds.
Working for Families
If you receive Working for Families tax credits and are planning on moving overseas for any period of time, you need to let us know as these payments might be affected.
Child support
New Zealand and Australia have a reciprocal agreement on child support. This means that child support customers living in either country can make and receive payments administered by either government. The country of the receiving carer will administer the case.
If you're a receiving carer moving to Australia, you'll need to contact the Services Australia to make a new assessment. You'll have to let us know you're leaving so we can cancel your payments and you can start receiving entitlements in Australia.
If you pay child support and you're moving to Australia, your case will still be administered by us. You need to update your details when you move so that you can continue paying your child support. If your income changes when you move, you'll need to let us know as well.
If you move to a country other than Australia, your child support will still be managed through us. You'll need to update your details when you move so we can continue administering your child support correctly.


17 October 2022
OSU Community Members,
Last Thursday, the Faculty Senate voted to approve the new General Education Curriculum proposed by the Baccalaureate Core Reform Committee. Among other things, this action updates a 30-year-old curriculum, reducing its size and improving its legibility for all students, introducing a new course category to support students’ transition to OSU, adding a sequence of touchpoints to incorporate career-readiness, and expanding instruction fostering understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion. This curriculum both recognizes the value of aligning with the state’s Core Transfer Map—which facilitates seamless transfer among Oregon higher education institutions—and creating a distinctive and high-quality foundation for OSU’s degree offerings.
I extend my sincere thanks to the Baccalaureate Core Reform Committee, led by John Edwards and Lori Kayes, for its extensive work to steward the development of a new model and bring it forward to the Senate. Alix Gitelman and McKenzie Huber in the Office of Academic Affairs provided steady support throughout the reform effort. I also thank John Dorbolo, Mina Carson, Dwaine Plaza, Selina Heppell, Erika McCalpine, and Kate McTavish for their leadership as Senate presidents during this process. Finally, I’m grateful to the Faculty Senate for approving an excellent new model.
I’m now appointing an Implementation Steering Committee (see attached), led by Alix Gitelman, vice provost for academic affairs and senior vice provost, to guide the important work of implementing the new curriculum. Next week, Alix will share more details about implementation, and importantly, information about how you may be involved.
To learn more about the reform project, please visit the General Education Reform website.
Sincerely,
Edward Feser
Provost and Executive Vice President


The ability of ketamine administration to activate prefrontal glutamate neurotransmission is thought to be a key mechanism contributing to its transient psychotomimetic effects and its delayed and sustained antidepressant effects. Rodent studies employing carbon-13 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (
13C MRS) methods have shown ketamine and other N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists to transiently increase measures reflecting glutamate-glutamine cycling and glutamate neurotransmission in the frontal cortex. However, there are not yet direct measures of glutamate neurotransmission in vivo in humans to support these hypotheses. The current first-level pilot study employed a novel prefrontal 13C MRS approach similar to that used in the rodent studies for direct measurement of ketamine effects on glutamate-glutamine cycling. Twenty-one participants (14 healthy and 7 depressed) completed two 13C MRS scans during infusion of normal saline or subanesthetic doses of ketamine. Compared to placebo, ketamine increased prefrontal glutamate-glutamine cycling, as indicated by a 13% increase in 13C glutamine enrichment (t = 2.4, p = 0.02). We found no evidence of ketamine effects on oxidative energy production, as reflected by 13C glutamate enrichment. During ketamine infusion, the ratio of 13C glutamate/glutamine enrichments, a putative measure of neurotransmission strength, was correlated with the Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale (r = -0.54, p = 0.048). These findings provide the most direct evidence in humans to date that ketamine increases glutamate release in the prefrontal cortex, a mechanism previously linked to schizophrenia pathophysiology and implicated in the induction of rapid antidepressant effects.


Waiting times to diagnose autism have increased by one quarter in two years
Public Health England and the National Autistic Society have revealed that people with autism are waiting about 25% longer than they did previously to get a diagnostic appointment for autism.
Diagnosis is for many the first point at which someone receives real understanding of their own or their son/daughter’s needs. It is a milestone. Some people feel a sense of relief, while for others it is a time of dread. Whatever the reaction felt by individuals, for many the diagnosis of autism is the first step towards receiving appropriate health or social care treatment and for this reason, the diagnosis of autism should not be delayed.
However, it has been found that compared to two years ago, diagnostic appointments are being drastically delayed.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends a three-month wait for diagnosis is acceptable. The...
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A copy of this work was available on the public web and has been preserved in the Wayback Machine. The capture dates from 2019; you can also visit the original URL.The file type is
application/pdf.
Across neuroscience, large-scale data recording and population-level analysis methods have experienced explosive growth. While the underlying hardware and computational techniques have been well reviewed, we focus here on the novel science that these technologies have enabled. We detail four areas of the field where the joint analysis of neural populations has significantly furthered our understanding of computation in the brain: correlated variability, decoding, neural dynamics, and artificialdoi:10.1016/j.conb.2019.02.002 pmid:30877963 fatcat:6s2q32j3knfxvhdizloo6gojaa


Abstract Introduction Patient involvement in care and decision-making has become an increasing focus in recent years, with the governmental shift to personalisation (1). Pressure ulcers (PUs) remain a key priority for healthcare providers with risk assessment and subsequent preventive measures seen as central to prevention. However, little is known about the involvement of the patient […]


Cortical adaptation to sound reverberation. Ivanov AZ., King AJ., Willmore BDB., Walker KMM., Harper NS.
In almost every natural environment, sounds are reflected by nearby objects, producing many delayed and distorted copies of the original sound, known as reverberation. Our brains usually cope well with reverberation, allowing us to recognize sound sources regardless of their environments. In contrast, reverberation can cause severe difficulties for speech recognition algorithms and hearing-impaired people. The present study examines how the auditory system copes with reverberation. We trained a linear model to recover a rich set of natural, anechoic sounds from their simulated reverberant counterparts. The model neurons achieved this by extending the inhibitory component of their receptive filters for more reverberant spaces, and did so in a frequency-dependent manner. These predicted effects were observed in the responses of auditory cortical neurons of ferrets in the same simulated reverberant environments. Together, these results suggest that auditory cortical neurons adapt to reverberation by adjusting their filtering properties in a manner consistent with dereverberation.


The home is no longer just an asset or an investment, it represents an experience, and this is increasingly true with luxury homes. We do not merely purchase a home, we purchase the “pleasure of living”, namely what we expect to be able to live within the home.
How do we translate this need into the search for a prestigious home?
It is a true journey, which starts with identification of the neighbourhood in which one wants to live (which must be well-served), looks at location (which should have its unique personality) and, lastly, focuses on the property.
During the second half of 2018, the prestigious properties market in Milan and Rome confirmed the recovery observed in 2017. In particular, Milan’s freehold segment showed the greatest activity, while Rome recorded increased stability, although with differences based on zone. Prices are confirmed as essentially stable compared to the prior half-year in both cities, albeit with a slight positive trend in Milan and a slight decline in Rome.
Average sales times in Milan are confirmed at around 5-7 months, while the time necessary to complete negotiations in Rome amounts to 7-8 months.
The report examines the prestigious real estate market in Milan, which reveals that the prestigious Milanese home of the future will increasingly focus on newly constructed properties, where the essential and trendy characteristics will be design and distribution of internal areas. A home where indoor/outdoor hybrid spaces become central.


Most slip-and-fall accidents only injure your pride, but that doesn’t mean they are all harmless. Nearly everyone underestimates the potential harm a fall can cause the human body.
If you hit your head or land on your back, you might suffer severe head or spinal cord trauma. More commonly, slips and falls result in knee injuries that could impact your mobility.
Torn ligaments
Those who follow sports know the damage a torn knee ligament can cause. Such tears are often sports-related but can also happen in a bad fall. Surgery and rehabilitation are usually necessary to regain the use of the knee.
Torn tendons
When tears are small or partial, patients may recover with minimal treatment. However, large or complete tears typically require surgical intervention. These tears can happen if you fall and hit the floor in an awkward position.
Torn meniscus (cartilage)
A hard fall can lead to torn cartilage in the knee. Many of these tears heal without an operation. However, patients who continue experiencing pain and swelling may need to undergo surgery.
Dislocated knee
A dislocated knee is quite serious and typically requires urgent medical intervention.
These slip-and-fall injuries also come with a risk of post-injury complications like nerve and blood vessel damage. If complications arise, victims should seek immediate medical care.
Property owners must ensure their premises are reasonably free of hazardous conditions that could injure visitors and customers. When they fail to do so, victims with slip-and-fall injuries may have grounds to seek financial compensation.
A successful claim under California injury compensation laws ensures you obtain the funds necessary to pay for your medical treatment.


Tornato Apparently More Wind than Rain: State DEC puts GLOW counties
on drought watch today
ALBANY — All four GLOW counties are among 21 on the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s drought watch, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday. New York state is encouraging residents in affected counties, particularly those dependent on private groundwater wells, to conserve water whenever possible during the coming weeks.
Aside from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties, the list includes Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Monroe, Niagara, Onondaga, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Suffolk, Tompkins and Yates.
A watch is the first of four levels of state drought advisories, which are watch, warning, emergency and disaster. No mandatory restrictions are in place under a drought watch.
“Recent rains across the state were not enough to address the dry conditions that have persisted this year,” Governor Hochul said. “Local water restrictions and educating residents about how to help conserve our water resources will be crucial steps to help prevent a more severe shortage should conditions worsen.”
The drought watch is triggered by the State Drought Index, which reflects precipitation levels, reservoir/lake levels and stream flow and groundwater levels in the nine drought regions of the state. Each of these indicators is assigned a weighted value based on its significance to various uses in a region. The State Drought Index is attuned to the specific attributes of New York and may differ moderately from some national technical drought assessments.
“Conserving water is important all year long, but particularly during extended dry periods like we are experiencing now. DEC will continue to monitor water conditions as the summer continues and work with its partners to help address the short-term water issues leading to this watch and the longer-term impacts of climate change on our everyday lives,” Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said.
While few public water supply challenges have been reported due to dry conditions, below-normal precipitation during the last three months, low streamflows, and low groundwater levels prompted the need for action to ensure adequate public water supplies. Local public water suppliers are urged to assess the current situation, promote voluntary conservation, and take appropriate actions to manage risk.
To protect water resources, homeowners are encouraged to voluntarily reduce outdoor water use and follow these tips:
Water lawns only when necessary, choose watering methods that avoid waste and water in the early morning to reduce evaporation and maximize soil hydration;
Reuse water collected in rain barrels, dehumidifiers, or air conditioners to water plants;
Raise lawn mower cutting heights. Longer grass is healthier with stronger roots and needs less water;
Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks; and
Fix leaking pipes, hoses, and faucets.
For more water saving tips, visit DEC’s webpage at:


Damage is often left in the aftermath of these weather catastrophes when they sweep through an area. Damage to your property might be extensive, including roof problems, damaged windows, and other difficulties. Calling TruRenu, you may avoid many problems by being proactive about storm damage to your house.
Before a Storm, Here's What to Do
We are usually given advance notice of a significant or tropical storm's approach, allowing us to take all necessary precautions before the storm arrives. Severe thunderstorms, on the other hand, are more challenging to plan for since they can appear out of nowhere.
Before the storming season, we recommend you take pictures of your house. Then you'll get a snapshot of your house right before any changes are made. When tornadoes or thunderstorms cause damage to your home, you'll need to demonstrate to your home insurance provider what happens when you file a claim.
In addition, it's a great way to keep storm shutters on hand. However, many places will run out of plywood just as the storm arrives, so stocking up in a shed or garage ahead of time ensures that your home is well-protected.
If you need aid with a pre-storm roof inspection, TruRenu can help. Now is the perfect time to have any roof leaks repaired before the harsh weather arrives.
In the event of a Storm, Water, or Flood, Destruction May Occur
It's not uncommon for us to observe and repair water damage. Floods or a roof that hasn't been properly maintained can lead to this. During a storm, a leaking roof can cause water to seep into the house's interior, including the floorings.
Your home may flood if the hurricane has generated a lot of rain. This could lead to more significant damage. The longer you wait to address water damage, the greater the risk of mold growth and structural damage to your property will be.
Damage to the roof and other structures might result from hurricane-force winds
With all the storm's might, the wind can take away your home's roof tiles, siding, and more. After a shower, it's not always simple to detect if your home's roof has been damaged, which is why it's important to schedule regular roof inspections. Leaving roof problems unattended might lead to more severe problems later in the year when other storms occur.
If your gutters are damaged by wind, you may have issues such as water seeping into your sidewalls or accumulating near the foundation. This form of harm will also necessitate immediate attention.
Hail can damage your home by breaking windows, wearing out roofs, and destroying siding
Occasionally, hail will fall during a storm. Ice pellets will strike your home, including your roof, windows, and automobiles, as they fall from the sky. Depending on the size of the hailstones, the damage might be rather substantial. Our goal at TruRenu is to analyze the damage your home has sustained from a hail storm and return it to its pre-storm condition as quickly as possible.
Your home could be hit by flying debris from a storm
The wind and land might topple trees on your house. It can also cause patio furniture to smash against windows if it is whipped around by the wind. One of our fields of experience is storm damage repair, and we can help you restore your household to normal as quickly as possible.
Georgia is prone to severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tropical storms. Any calamities, such as a collapsed roof or broken windows, could befall your residence. Many of these issues can be avoided if you are vigilant about storm damage to your home. It might be difficult to tell if your home's roof has been damaged after a storm. Putting off fixing a leaky roof until later in the year can lead to more significant issues. TruRenu can promptly assess the damage to your home and get it back to its pre-loss condition.


Physical therapy (PT) is a method of treating injury, disease, or deformity by physical methods like massage, heat treatment, and exercise instead of surgery or drugs. It helps improve the movement of the body while reducing or eliminating pain. One of the most significant benefits of physical therapy is how it kick-starts the healing process. Here is how physical therapy promotes healing injuries faster.
Managing Pain
When an injury doesn’t receive treatment, it often won’t heal properly. That causes chronic pain, and the injured person may turn to prescription drugs to manage their pain. However, this doesn’t assist in healing injuries faster. Physical therapy treats and soothes pain in a healthy, natural way.
Personalized Care
Every person is unique, and so is their recovery journey. A key element to healing injuries faster is understanding each person’s specific needs. Physical therapy uses a wide variety of effective treatments. Utilizing multiple therapies such as exercises, deep tissue massages, and muscle stretches can create a personalized plan that is most effective for you.
Identifying Issues
Self-diagnosing pain is rarely accurate and can lead to worse problems. Determining whether the pain is muscular, skeletal, or involves a specific organ requires a professional’s perspective. Physical therapists identify pain sources accurately to promote healing injuries faster and more accurately.
Long Term Solutions
Physical therapists also educate their patients on what to do to prevent future injuries. Their guidance includes nutrition and stretches that can help you maintain proper physical health. These long-term solutions promote healing injuries faster while avoiding more down the road.
Tired Of Putting Off Pain?
Be Well Lifestyle Centers offer a sustainable approach to health and wellness. Our expert Movologists will increase mobility, reduce pain, and help you achieve a healthy body for longer. Contact us to book our services today!


The foreclosure crisis, followed by drastically increasing rents, landlord pressures, and uneven tenant protections have caused a turnover in the population in Oakland and throughout the Bay Area. We know the numbers, but what are the personal and community effects? Numbers don’t have a face.
This report, prepared by East Bay Housing Organizations and Interfaith Communities United seeks to reflect the community costs of displacement through the eyes of the faith community. From October to December 2015, members of the clergy were interviewed over the phone about their congregation’s experiences with displacement.
Several patterns emerged from these conversations:
Despite the socioeconomic, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the congregations represented, each one was/is affected by displacement. Some congregations are losing parishioners, and some are gaining, but all felt pressure being exerted on them. Congregations of color have watched their membership drop significantly in Oakland due to displacement, but throughout the Bay Area, pastors noted that low-income families, regardless of racial background were struggling, and that the younger generations had found that coming home after college simply was not an option. While interviews reflected a small sample, some patterns of displacement paths emerged: faith leaders from Oakland observed congregants moving to Richmond, Richmond congregations noted moves to Antioch/Pittsburg, and moves from Pittsburg and Antioch to Stockton have begun to surface in pastoral discussions of displacement Many thanks to Rachel Thomson, intern with EBHO’s Interfaith Communities United, for her intensive work on this report. If you have questions about this report, or want to get involved with EBHO’s ICU, email Demetrius Burnett, EBHO’s Interfaith Coordinator, at demitrius@ebho.org.


Abstract
This mixed methods study examines the institutional mechanisms related to ethnicity that shape the differential experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. By conducting in-depth interviews with AAPI students as well as analyzing data from the University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey, this study sought to gain a deeper understanding of the campus experiences of AAPI undergraduates at UCLA from a disaggregated perspective, as aggregate data may lead to erroneous conclusions that AAPI students are academically successful, well-adjusted, and satisfied with their college experiences- a rationale often used to exclude AAPIs from campus conversations regarding diversity, ethnic representation, and racial climate. The findings detail the unique and different experiences of various AAPI subgroups and suggest the need to overcome the harmful stereotype that AAPIs have escaped the racialized, and sometimes discriminatory, experiences of other racial minorities-even if they attend institutions that are compositionally diverse. As institutions of higher education continue to grapple with campus climate, there is an immediate need to consider how AAPI students fit within that narrative and into larger campus priorities.
Keywords Asian American and Pacific Islander Campus climate Disaggregation Racialization Stratification ASJC Scopus subject areas Education


Abstract
We conducted a study to clarify the impact of bush fires on the structure of non-breeding flocks of the Red-backed Fairy-wren Malurus melanocephalus cruentatus in the Australian monsoon tropics. Overall, the mean group size was large in the mid dry season, becoming smaller with the progress of season. Large groups occurred at burnt sites, while at unburnt sites group size was smaller owing to a higher proportion of pair-sized groups. Bush fire destroyed habitat and forced resident birds to emigrate. Conversely, unburnt sites were used as a refuge during fires. However, in the non-breeding season, such stable habitats were occupied by stable and small-sized groups and were already saturated. Therefore, individuals that immigrated into these habitats during fires were forced to emigrate again. After a fire, many birds invaded burnt sites from the surrounding area and aggregated in large but unstable flocks that consequently diminished due to the individual separation of young males just before the breeding season. Bush fires resulted in the reorganisation of groups and re-establishment of territory. � Yamashina Institute for Ornithology.
Original language English Pages (from-to) 47-64 Number of pages 18 Journal Journal of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology Volume 42 DOIs Publication status Published - 2010


Notice:Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare.org. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience. Journal of interventional gastroenterologyLeung, F., Harker, J., Leung, J., Siao-Salera, R., Mann, S., Ramirez, F., Friedland, S., Amato, A., Radaelli, F., Paggi, S., Terruzzi, V., Hsieh, Y. 2011; 1 (3): 114-120 Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Variation in the outcomes in RcTs comparing water-related methods and air insufflation during the insertion phase of colonoscopy raises challenging questions regarding the approach. This report reviews the impact of water exchange on the variation in attenuation of pain during colonoscopy by water-related methods. METHODS: Medline (2008 to 2011) searches, abstracts of the 2011 Digestive Disease Week (DDW) and personal communications were considered to identify RcTs that compared water-related methods and air insufflation to aid insertion of the colonoscope. Results: Since 2008 nine published and one submitted RcTs and five abstracts of RcTs presented at the 2011 DDW have been identified. Thirteen RcTs (nine published, one submitted and one abstract, n=1850) described reduction of pain score during or after colonoscopy (eleven reported statistical significance); the remaining reports described lower doses of medication used, or lower proportion of patients experiencing severe pain in colonoscopy performed with water-related methods compared with air insufflation (Tables 1 and 2). The water-related methods notably differ in the timing of removal of the infused water - predominantly during insertion (water exchange) versus predominantly during withdrawal (water immersion). Use of water exchange was consistently associated with a greater attenuation of pain score in patients who did not receive full sedation (Table 3). CONCLUSION: The comparative data reveal that a greater attenuation of pain was associated with water exchange than water immersion during insertion. The intriguing results should be subjected to further evaluation by additional RcTs to elucidate the mechanism of the pain-alleviating impact of the water method.
View details for PubMedID 22163081


Early China Seminar Lecture Series
Title: “What is Early Chinese Religion?”
Speaker: Ori Tavor, University of Pennsylvania Time: March 11, 2022 ( 4:30-6:30 PM EST) The event will be held via Zoom. Please click on “Request Pre-circulated Paper” to register for the event.
Material and textual sources suggest that members of early Chinese societies engaged in practices that fit our modern definition of religion such as prayer, the offering of sacrifices, pilgrimage, and participating in a wide variety of ritual activities. However, unlike the post-Han religious traditions of Buddhism and Daoism, early Chinese religion lacked an ecclesiastical system, a canonical set of sacred scriptures, a fixed pantheon of gods, or any type of conversion and ordination rituals. The latter is of particular significance, as it affirms that “early Chinese religion” is merely a heuristic device coined by modern scholars to refer to a diverse set of beliefs and practices that did not exist as a coherent self-identifiable institution.
In this talk, I will propose a set of strategies designed to overcome the inherent challenges in studying early Chinese religion. First, I will demonstrate that early Chinese religion featured an implicit theology that was never fully explicated or canonized but still served as a common epistemological lens through which people negotiated with the sacred. I will then argue that while this theology featured two completing modes of religiosity that differed in their understanding of ritual and its function, it had one common denominator that eventually became the seminal building block of Chinese religious culture: a belief in an interconnectedness between the human body and the moral universe that surrounds it and the conviction that ritual plays a central role in ensuring a state of harmony between the two. I will conclude by showing how we can utilize examples from the explicit theologies featured in medieval Buddhist and Daoist texts to better understand early Chinese religion and its role in creating a common religious culture shared by all subsequent traditions.